Loose-leaf binder



1952 J. M. BENDERL 2,582,953

' LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed June 9, 1947 INVENTOR.

' v (Ja /m M ender ATTiNEY A. 5 w ly Patented Jan. 22, 1952 LOOSE-LEAF BINDER John M. Bender, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Inter-Collegiate Press, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 9, 1947, Serial No. 753,492

1 Claim.

This invention has to do generally with the art of book binding, and more specifically to loose leaf covers, the primary aim being to provide a cover that is inexpensive to manufacture, yet as eflicient in operation and as sturdy in construction as the conventional, more expensive types of binders.

The most important object of this invention is the provision of a loose leaf binder having a front and a back formed from a single, normally fiat panel and a stiffening bar provided with means to releasably hold the leaves in place.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a loose leaf binder having a cover upon which is mounted a bar having loops for releasably receiving resilient rings which in turn threadably mount the leaves of sheet material.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a loose leaf binder having a number of open, resilient rings to threadably receive slotted leaves of paper or the like and provided with hooked ends for removable attachment to the aforesaid loops of the strengthening and mounting bar.

Other objects of this invention reside in the manner in which the bar loops are formed by stamping pairs of offset projections from the bar itself; the way in which the bar is mounted upon the covering panel; and the manner in which the panel itself is slotted to receive the bar loops.

Many minor aims and objects will be made clear or become apparent during the course of the following specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary open plan view of the inside of a loose leaf book cover made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line III-411 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inside of the cover, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rings or clips, per se; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the slotted leaves adapted for use with the cover.

The covering for the loose leaf sheets to be bound by the device about to be described may be made from any suitable material in the form of a panel broadly designated by the numeral ID. This material should be capable of being bent upon itself along lines of fold I 2 and M to present a front segment I3 and a back segment I8.

' 30 and glued in place.

The leaves of papers or other sheet material 20 to be bound, each-have a pair of spaced slots 22 formed therein along one marginal edge as shown in Fig. 6. These sheets 20 are stacked in the usual manner with the slots 22 in registering relation.

A pair of open rings 24 of the character illustrated in Fig. 5 are made from resilient material and are threaded through slots 22 of sheets 20 in the manner shown in Fig. 3. These rings are substantially U-shaped to present a pair'of opposed legs 26, upon the free ends whereof are formed out-turned hooks 28.

An elongated bar 30, preferably formed from relatively rigid material to add sturdiness toflexible panel I, is secured to panel Ill. The width of bar 30 is substantially the same as the distance between lines of fold l2 and [4. Fig. 4 illustrates the way in which bar 30 is disposed along the normally outermost face of panel H).

The bar 30 is longer than the width of panel l0 and the ends 32 thereof are bent upon the innermost face of panel I0. Panel 10 is strengthened along lines of fold l2 and I4 by a strip of material 34 covering bar 30 and adhesively secured to the outermost face of panel [0 and the bar 30. This strip 34 is slightly longer than the bar 30 and has the ends thereof cut into a number of flaps 36 to present clearance for bending of panel it along lines l2 and I4, all as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Flaps 36 are folded over the innermost face of panel I0 and ends 32 of bar One of these flaps of strip 34 has been shown extended in Fig. 4 to show the way ends 32 of bar 30 are clamped over panel I0.

Panel II) has a pair of spaced slots 38 formed therein between lines of fold l2 and [4. These slots provide clearance for ofiset loops 40 formed in bar 30. There is a pair of spaced loops 40 extending through each of the slots 38. These loops 40 are formed along opposed marginal edges of bar 30 and are stamped therefrom to project laterally from one face of bar 30.

The rings 24 are moved into place between the loops 40 by pressing the legs 26 thereof together. Upon release of rings 24 the legs 26 will spread and hooks 28 be moved into clamping relation to loops 40 as shown in Fig. 3. The resilient character of the rings or clips 24 will maintain hooks 28 in engagement with loops 40 until it is desired to remove or insert leaves 20.

Obviously any number of clips 24 and holding means 40 may be utilized, depending on the size of sheets 20 and the necessary number of slots 22 formed therein. The circular shape of clips 24 alfords free turning of leaves 20 and permits opening and closing of segments [6 and I8 of panel 10 without binding. The tendency of sheets 20 tearing loose, common in many types of binders, ls obviated because of the smooth way in which leaves 20 turn on clips 24. A relatively large number of leaves 20 may be inserted in clips 24 without the usual damaging, binding efiect.

It is to be noted further that the loose leaves 20 may be replaced from time :to time quickly and easily, and it is impossible for the clips '24 to become accidentally released as is true with many types of binders. I

Virtually all the advantages made possible by the more expensive and complicated binders are present in the binder forming the subject matter of this -spe.cification as well as othersabove described. It is to be understood further that the presentinvention iS'CELl'JfiblEiOf extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit thereof .as expressed in the appended :claim.

,Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured 'by Letters Patent is:

Structure for releasably binding a pack of erforated, loose leaves, said'structurc comprising a panel ioldable intermediate the ends thereof along a pair of spaced, parallel lines of bend to present a top cover, a bottom cover, and a back wall between the lines of bend; a number 4 of openings formed in said back wall; an elongated bar on the outermost face of back wall, the width and length of the bar being the same as that of the back wall; a tab on each end respectively of the bar and looped over the inner face of the back wall for holding the bar in place thereon; a'pair of spaced, substantially U-shaped loops integral with the bar and extending through each of said openings respectively, the -bights of the loops being fiat and elongated and having their longitudinal axes parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bar, all of said bights being in a common plane in spaced parallelism to the inner face of the bar; and a split, bandlike retainer ring of resilient material for each pair of loops respectively, the free ends each having an elongated, out-turned hook, coextensive in length with said bights and disposed within its loop when said ends are between the loops and'are biased outwardly against said big'hts.

' JOHN M. BENDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 1,138,262 I Trussell May 4, 1915 1,685,448 Butter-Worth Sept. 25, 1928 1,697,6i4 Green Jan. 1, 1929 1,807,390 Crosby May 26, 1931 2,044,138 Unger June 16, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 788,29? France July 29, 1935 

